Fire and Gold
by Jen in Wonderland
Summary: Eva Barton always knew that she was special, but one day she awakes not knowing what happened the past couple of days. Her brother shows up and her world turns upside down.
1. Change of Pace

Today seemed like any other day in her apartment. Except, something seemed off. Her apartment was never this clean. Eva Barton looked around skeptically. She didn't remember cleaning it recently. Actually, she couldn't remember the past couple of days. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Eva grabbed a weapon and walked to the door, looking through the peep hole. She relaxed when she saw that it was only her brother. While opening the door, her grip on her weapon loosened slightly.

"Clint! I thought that you were going on a mission in Jakarta or someplace exotic like that.." She said, greeting him with a hug. When they pulled away, she noticed his expression. After welcoming him in and putting down her weapon, she asked, "What's wrong?"

Clint looked at her and without missing a beat, he asked, "What do you mean?"

"Clint, in the time that I have been your little sister I have developed the ability to tell when something is either bothering you or wrong." Eva says, crossing her arms with a raised brow.

Her brother sat down on the sofa. ' _Oh God, here we go...'_ He thought before actually speaking. "You should probably sit down." Clint patted the seat next to him as you looked at him in shock.

 _'Did I just hear his thoughts? Oh My God..' What is happening?_ She slowly made her way to the couch and sat down, her eyes still wide. What brought her focus back was the feeling of Clint's hand on her leg.

Clint pursed his lips. "Here's the thing. Jakarta.. it ended three weeks ago. From what I understand, you were in some kind of accident. ..S.H.I.E.L.D. knows more about you now than you would probably like..They've been monitoring you. Checking on you."

It was a lot to take in. Her head went down to her hands as she tried to absorb the information she was just given. "So, you're telling me that I was essentially in a coma for _three weeks_?" She paused and looked up at Clint who had a worried look on his face. "...They know that I can teleport, don't they?" She asked. Clint could only nod in response. "How did they find out?"

"They have security cameras everywhere in their facility, E. You kept disappearing and ending up here. So, instead of having to keep retrieving you, they kept someone here to look after you.." He tried to comfort you a bit with a squeeze of your leg. _Are you okay?_

Eva wasn't looking at Clint's face when she responded. "Yeah, I actually feel great." She looked up and Clint was looking at her with questioning and shocked eyes.

"Did you just..?" He asks, his eyes widening.  
"What?"

"E, I think you just read my mind.." _'_ _They said that something like this might happen.'_ He thought as he turned more toward his little sister.

Her hands flew up to her mouth when she heard his next thought. "What do you mean? Why can I hear your thoughts?" Eva was starting to freak out.

Clint's brows furrowed. "I think that someone injected you with something that triggered it.. S.H.I.E.L.D said that the effects would most likely be permanent." He paused and looked at her, seeing how well she was doing with all of this new information.

"...Is there anything else. Please don't lie... I'll know." She looked at him and tapped her head twice before putting her hand with her other one in her lap.

"They want you to move to the new Avengers facility in upstate New York.. So, that you can be with other talented people like yourself."

"They want to isolate me from everything I've ever known. That sounds like a brilliant idea." She scoffed, rising from the couch. She couldn't sit anymore, so she paced ending up facing away from Clint.

"This could be a good thing. It could be a fresh start. You were just complaining about how we don't spend a lot of time together. This would change that." He tried to reason.

Eva thought for a moment. She didn't want to leave her perfectly normal life, her friends. "I just want to be normal sometimes, ya know?"

"I know, Evee. Though, sometimes normal can be vastly over-rated.." He looked up at her with soft eyes. "Will you at least give it a try? For me?"

Eva was reluctant to say the least. She thought about it for a couple of minutes. A fresh start sounded nice.. And maybe she could learn how to control her new ability. "Fine, but if it doesn't work out I'm leaving. And you have to promise that you won't stop me." She said the last part as she turned to face him.

Clint pursed his lips. "I promise, but you have to give it an honest chance." He said.

"I promise too. How long do I have to get packed?" She asked, running her fingers through her burgundy dyed hair.

"Some of your stuff might already be there. They prepared for the possibility of you saying yes, but we can leave whenever you're ready. Somebody can be by to pick up whatever you need that we can't take now. It's all been taken care of."

Eva nodded and started packing. S.H.I.E.L.D. had done a pretty thorough job. She only had to pack a few essentials. Clint carried some of the heavier things to the vehicle. After about 45 minutes, she was standing in her doorway looking at her place. This would be the last time she'd be here for a while. She just hoped that this new adventure would be worth it. With that thought in mind, she closed the door behind her and locked it. She ran her fingers through her hair as she joined Clint in the car for the journey to the new Avengers facility.

[[TWO HOURS LATER]]

It was close to sunset when they both arrived at the facility. Eva took a deep breath. _'_ _Everything's going to be fine.'_ She heard Clint think and then nodded at him as they got out of the car. Eva self-consciously fixed her outfit. ' _Ready?'_ Clint thought. ' _We can come back for everything_.' She nodded and followed Clint to the door. He put in a pin and did a scan before the door made a very noticeable locking sound. Her eyebrows rose as they walked through the threshold. "Hello Mr. Barton and guest." A slightly mechanical voice said.

"Hello F.R.I.D.A.Y." Clint said simply as he lead Eva to the elevators.  
"Who's friday?" She asked as the doors closed.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. is an artificial intelligence system that Tony created to replace the former one."

Eva looked slightly confused. "What happened to the former one?"

"It's kind of a long story, I'll tell you later." He paused. The elevator was almost to the main living space. "I don't know who's here, but you should be able to meet a good part of the team in a minute or two."

"I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous. You guys are kind of famous." She said, biting her lip.

"You don't get nervous around me." He said, feigning hurt.

"I'm related to you, that's different." She smirked.

The doors opened then and the pair stepped into the main living area where there were a few members of the famous team. A familiar redhead turned when she heard the elevator ding. Eva and Natasha had met on accident a couple of years ago thanks to Clint. Eva came home early and found Natasha living there as a cover for a mission. Natasha's face lit up when she saw them. "Eva! Clint! We've been waiting for you." She smiles as she rises from the couch. A couple of the other Avengers turned their heads to see what was going on.

"Natasha! It's great to see you again." Eva said with a genuine smile. At least she knew more than one person on the team, that made her feel better.

"Likewise, how are you feeling?" She questions.

"I feel fine, why do you ask?" Eva's eyebrow quirks up.

"Well, Clint told me what happened and I wanted to make sure that you were okay. Clint's been pretty worried, but I told him that you're a fighter." She told Eva with a smile.

"That I can be sometimes. ..Anyways, I'm excited to be here." Eva tried to change the conversation. She wondered if they knew what she could do, or if S.H.I.E.L.D was just going to let that be a nice little surprise later on.

"Right, you need to meet the team. Thor and Hulk are out.." She said delicately before continuing. "But, this is Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, James Rhodes, Sam Wilson, Vision, and the twins Wanda and Pietro Maximoff." Everyone waved as their name was said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all formally. I'm Eva Barton." She introduced with a shy smile.

Steve looked slightly confused as Tony spoke up. "You have a sister?"

"Yes, and she's going to be living here for a while. I've already cleared it with Fury." He told Tony firmly before turning to his sister. "Do you need help with your stuff?" Eva only nodded in response.

The younger well built Avenger with silver-ish white hair, who Eva remembered was named Pietro, stood up and dashed over to them. "I can help too if you would like." It took a couple seconds before her shock faded at seeing how fast he came over to them.

"That would be great. Thanks." She smiled and they got into the elevator.

"I'd watch Speedy if I were you." Tony told Clint.  
"My brother can be quite charming when he wants to be." Wanda added, not looking up from the book she was reading.

"Duly noted." He sighed and caught the next elevator.

[[THIRTY MINUTES LATER]]

Finally the last of Eva's things were in her new room. The room was actually fairly spacious, she just felt like she needed to make it more her own. She thanked Clint and Pietro for their help. Pietro smiled and nodded before leaving. Heat rose to Eva's face. Clint had stayed behind to help you unpack. She looked around her room and started unpacking boxes. The room was fairly spacious with neutral walls, a black dresser with a television on top of it, a bookcase in the corner, a desk and chair, a queen sized bed, black nightstands, and what Eva hoped to be a spacious closet. ' _No.'_ Eva's eyes widened in confusion and looked at her brother. She couldn't tell if he had said it out loud but she had the feeling that he hadn't.

"No what?" She asked, pulling twinkle lights out of the box.

"You know what." He said, unpacking a box of books and putting them on the dresser nearby.  
"I'm sure it's nothing, Clint. You don't have anything to worry about. He was just being nice." She said with certainty. She hung the twinkle lights over her new bed. The room was starting to feel more cozy already.

"I'm sure you're right. I just don't want you to get hurt Evee." He emptied the last book onto the dresser and checked all of the other boxes. They looked like stuff that she could easily handle. "I will leave you alone to pack and get used to your new environment."

Eva smiled and hopped off of the bed, hugging her brother. "Thank you Clint."

"You're welcome Eva. I hope that you grow to like it here." He told her, tightening his hold for a moment before letting go and walking to the door.

"I hope so too.. I'll see you at breakfast in the morning." She smiled.

"Sounds good. Try not to stay up too late, training starts at 6." He smirked and closed the door behind him.

Eva grimmaced. She was never a morning person, almost everyone knew that. She guessed that a few more people were about to found out. Eva stayed up for easily another hour organizing her books before she finally fell asleep in this place that she called her new home.


	2. Welcome to the New Age

Eva woke up with a groan at her alarm which went off at 5:00 am. Sitting up, she wipes the sleep from her eyes. She had an hour before she had to be at training, so she gathered some workout clothes and showered in the bathroom that she found out was attached to her room. The burgundy haired girl stepped out of the bathroom in workout clothes about 15 minutes later. It didn't take her long to put on her shoes and blow dry her hair and put it up into a bun before leaving to find the kitchen. She needed coffee. And she needed it now. She knew that she was getting close since the noise was getting closer and closer. Eva turned the corner to find the kitchen and the coffee maker. She silently walked over to the coffee pot.

"Cups are in the cabinet to your left and there's creamer in the fridge." Steve informed her when he entered and noticed that she was looking around.

Eva smiled and nodded greatfully. Once she had done everything needed to make a cup of coffee, she took a sip. It was like all of her neurons were starting to fire for the day. It was always a glorious way to start the morning, in Eva's opinion. She took a couple more sips before speaking. "Thank you, Steve. I'm nothing in the morning without my coffee."

"I completely understand. I'm the same way." Steve smiled genuinely. "This is my second cup already this morning." He told her, refilling his cup.

"Usually I only need one, but then I'm not always up before the sun is." She chuckled and sipped.

Steve sipped along with her, smiling into his coffee. "So, are you an archer like Clint?"

Eva looked up at him from her cup. "I ..uhm. No, I'm not. I have special abilities that I'm not really ready to share with the class yet."

Steve looked intrigued as Clint strolled in. "Everyone ready for training?"

"I will be, I guess. Just give me a nap and about three more hours." Eva said with humor in her voice.

"Very funny Evee. Is everyone else already down there?" He asked, grabbing a piece of toast.

"No actually. I'm pretty sure that the three of us and the twins are the only ones up." Steve stated, finishing his coffee and putting the cup in the sink.

"It's a shame that they'll be missing out." He said casually.

Eva's eyes widen, "That's it? You made it sound like 6 am training was mandatory."

"Did I?" Clint smirked. Steve chuckled lightly.

Eva frowned. "You're lucky you're my brother. Just don't expect me to get up at five o'clock in the morning again. Bad things will happen." She threatened, knowing that her brother would probably pull something like this again. Eva finished her coffee and grabbed a bagel. "What floor is the training area on?"

Steve finished his coffee. "I'll show you. 15 minutes, Hawk." He said, setting his cup next to Eva's in the sink, and ushering her out of the kitchen.

Every once and a while while they were walking, Eva would look over at Steve. She couldn't help but notice his posture. There was just this sense of confidence that not everyone had. He walked with purpose as they reached the elevator. The door opened smoothly after a few seconds of them standing there."How was your first night here in the facility?"

Eva looked up at Steve with a smile. "My first night was fine. It was mostly unpacking and trying to get used to everything. A lot of personalizing needs to be done, but it's nice. This facility seems really nice. Almost like new."

Steve nodded with what she was saying, the elevator was beeping at the different floors as they descended. "That's good. The place is actually relatively new. We've only been in here for half a year. Do you have any fighting experience?"

"Ever since the battle of New York I've been taking classes. I wanted to feel safe and know that I would have a chance of protecting myself if something happened." Eva explained, taking the stairs with great ease.

"Sounds like a great plan of action. Not everyone has that kind of initiative." Steve complimented.

"Thank you, I thought so. You never know what's going to happen now a days." She chuckled lightly.

"You have a point, things are never boring if you're an avenger." Steve smiled looking down at Eva.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Eva looked up to see the floor number so that she could remember it later. Just then, her phone chirped. ' _Who would be texting me at this ungodly hour?'_ She thought to herself as she looked apologetically at Steve and checked it.

' _Fury said that you could tell the team whenever you were ready. -Clint'_

Eva put the phone back in her jacket pocket and followed Steve into the area. The redhead looked around, her eyes widening slightly. The room was deceptively large for where it was located. Were they underground?

"I know, it's a lot to take in.. but you'll get used to it." Steve leaned in, smiling warmly.

Eva nodded, still taking everything in. Every once and a while, she would catch a blue blur out of the corner of her eye. Wanda was doing something, but Eva wasn't sure what. Eva took off her coat and turned her phone on vibrate before putting her headphones in. She put on her workout playlist and stuffed the phone in the secret pocket of her shorts. The redhead stretched before walking over to the punching bag and starting her work out.

Clint walked in to see his sister hitting the punching bag to a beat. He smirked and tried to sneak up on her, noticing that she only had one earbud in. "Bang. Dead." He said. "You really shouldn't distract yourself. What happens if there's an attack?"

Eva rolled her eyes and turned around. "Clint, seriously? I'm pretty sure that I'd know if I or the rest of the team were in danger.." She told him, discreetly pointing at her head. "And, you're my brother and I love you, but next time you sneak up on me there will be consequences."

Her brother chuckled. "Sure, okay. You're not a full Avenger yet. You've still got a long way to go and I'm telling you this because you're my sister and I love you." He patted her on the shoulder and walked away, grabbing his bow and quiver.

Eva looked over to find Wanda and Pietro talking. Pietro's smile was a beautiful thing. He happened to look over and Eva did a cute little wave before returning to the punching bag. That was when she noticed, Steve was watching her as he did pull ups. ' _There are way too many attractive guys in the Avengers. Is it like a pre-requisite that you be good looking or something?'_ She wondered as she took to the punching bag once more. After a minute or two, Steve appeared by your side.

"Good form, but do you mind if I show you something that might help?" He offered.

"No, go ahead Captain." She says as she steps back from the bag.

The super soldier steps up to the bag, "Please, call me Steve." He says before going into his stance. "If you stand like this.." He explains. "You will be more grounded and your punch will have more umpf." Steve punches a couple of times before turning back to Eva. "See?"

The redhead nods and tries to copy his position. "Like this?" She asks.

Across the room, Pietro was trying not to watch but he couldn't help it. His glance always ended up on Eva every few minutes and he didn't know what it was about her, but he felt drawn to her. They had only met the once, but he felt like they could be great friends or even more. He felt Wanda's hand grip his soldier. "Patience, big brother. It is only her first day and she is sister to Hawkeye." Pietro nodded and ran his fingers through his white/silver hair.

"Hey Roadrunner, go over there and dodge." Pietro and Eva heard Clint say.

Eva was smiling and blushing slightly as Steve readjusted her so that she was in the right stance. She looked over and Clint was aiming for Pietro. "Um, do they do this often?" She asks Steve quietly.

Steve chuckles. "Every once and a while. It helps Maximoff with his speed and accuracy stopping. Don't worry. Clint doesn't fire arrows that will harm him." He smiles as Eva watches intently. Arrow after arrow, Pietro would catch them and toss them down. After a little bit Wanda joined in, and two other Avengers joined you all in the gym.

Nat caught Eva's attention with a single word. "Spar?" Just the word made the redhead nervous. Nat was a trained assassin. Eva nodded reluctantly and joined Nat on the mat she was standing on. "Don't worry. I'll go somewhat easy on you your first time." She smirked.

The sparring started off slow, but gained more speed every few hits. Eva was actually doing pretty well until Nat surprised her. ' _You know, Steve is single.'_ Eva's stunned expression gave Nat enough time to strike and the next thing she knew, she was on the ground. "Not bad, but we still have things to work on." She told Eva as she offered her a hand up. Eva took it graciously, hopping up easily.

"Clint told you, didn't he?" Eva asked, trying to be discreet. Natasha only nodded. Eva swallowed. "Of course he did. He couldn't just let me have the upper hand for once." She muttered.

Nat eyed Eva. "You need to be careful with that upperhand. It's what cost you. You need to remain cool and focused no matter what you hear. Got it?"

Eva nodded. "Got it. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you myself.. I'm going to tell the team eventually." She trails off, taking her hair down from its updo.

"Sooner would be better than later. It'll give the team time to adjust and figure things out. When they know, it'll be a greater advantage for us." Natasha told her as they walked over to Eva's jacket.

Eva nodded and checked her phone. She had been in the gym for an hour and a half. "Duly noted. I think I'm going to finish unpacking and rehearse what I'm going to say."

There was a small smile playing on Natasha's lips. "I'll come by when I'm done and help you if you need it, Okay?"

"Okay, I'll see you later." Eva hugged Nat and grabbed her jacket. She walked smoothly out of the gym and around the corner. She looked around cautiously before teleporting to her bedroom.

[[Hours Later]]

"Team Meeting in two minutes." F.R.I.D.A.Y. prompted.

Eva sighed, it was now or never. She wondered what they were going to think of her when they knew. She fixed herself in the mirror as time passed. When it was finally time for the team meeting, Eva walked down the hallway and peeked around the corner to the living area. Everyone was sort of milling about. The redhead took a steadying breath. ' _Clint. I'm about to teleport in.'_ She told him telepathically, she didn't even know that she could do that or how she just did, but Clint nodded and stood. "Eva said that she was running late. She'll be here momentarily. Why don't you just start the meeting Stark."

Tony pursed his lips. "Everyone should really be here."

This was it. Eva concentrated on appearing next to the couch on the opposite side of the room. She felt her body tense up and then she was there. "I'm here now Tony. What's up?"

The looks on everyone's faces except for Clint and Natasha spanned a few different emotions. Shock and awe were the most common. "So, you have a special ability.." Bruce spoke up.

Eva nodded and tried to gage the rest of the room. For a semi-silent room, it was almost deafening. The redhead winced as she started to hear everyone's thoughts at once. It seemed as though the floodgates had opened. The discomfort must have shown on her face because Clint was wrapping his arms around her, trying to soothe her.

By the time Eva looked up, the majority of people in the room looked massively confused. "There's actually something else I need to tell you guys." She said slowly, looking to each person. Concern was most prominent on Pietro and Steve's faces.

"I'm pretty sure that I'm telepathic." She says as Clint's grip tightened.


	3. First Lessons

Here is the rest of the night that the last chapter left off on. I hope that you enjoy.

I own nothing.

* * *

"What you mean pretty sure?" Pietro asked in his Sokovian accent.

"...Well, as of right now I can hear a jumble of thoughts but I haven't been around you all long enough to pick out who is who... And, I just succeeded in communicating with Clint before appearing before you guys." She paused to take a breath. "I still have to work on fine tuning this new _gift_ but I thought that the team should know if we're going to be working together."

"How long have you had your abilities?" Bruce asked, clearly intrigued.

"I um.. I've been able to teleport since I was seventeen. So, I have that one kind of down... Telepathy is quite a bit newer. I'd say two days?" She explained. Clint slowly let go of his sister and sat back down on the couch. Eva sat on the arm of the sofa she was next to.

"Maybe I could help with this." Wanda offered. "The mind is complex place. "

"That would be greatly appreciated.. Thank you Wanda." Eva smiled graciously.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. was that all that was on the secret agenda that someone told you not to tell me?" Tony asked.

"Yes sir." The A.I. replied.

"Well, if no one else has something to share. I say this meeting is finished. Good talk everyone." Tony said as he walked out of the room.

With that, everyone was back to milling around. It felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders that she didn't know she was baring. This would be the start of a new age that everyone would have to adjust to.

Dinner was quiet that night. Eva just assumed that everyone was trying to come to terms with what she could do, and she was trying not to invade their privacy. Maybe Wanda could help her with control so that she wouldn't have to put so much effort into shutting everyone out of her head. She casually looked up from her plate when she felt a hand lightly touch her forearm. Wanda smiled warmly, like she knew what the other girl was going through. "First lesson after dinner?" She asked.

Eva nodded and twirled her pasta onto her fork.

[[TIME SKIP]]

Eva walked nervously with Wanda beside her. Wanda only spoke when they reached her room and she closed the door behind her.

"Relax. It will all be fine." She pauses. "Relax your mind and we will begin."

Eva closed her eyes and took a few cleansing breaths, letting her mind go blank. _'Now. Can you hear me?"_ She heard Wanda without opening her eyes. The redhead nodded. _'You can open your eyes. Try to keep doing what you're doing.'_ Eva's eyes opened slowly. _'You heard me. Now, try to speak to me without giving indications.'_ Wanda instructed as there was a knock on the door.

"Come back later, Pietro." Wanda said smoothly, still keeping an eye on Eva.

 _'_ _Not just Pietro.'_ Eva thought. It was hard trying to communicate this way. Why did she get this power. _'How was that?'_ She asked mentally.

 _'_ _Not bad. Second sentence was better. You're trying too hard. It needs to be like switch.'_ Wanda informed her. "Come in." She said, knowing who else was there.

Clint, Natasha, and Pietro entered the room. Eva looked over and smiled before turning her attention to Wanda once more. "I just wanted to see how you two were doing in here." Clint said.

"We have only just begun." Wanda says simply. _'_ "She needs more time one on one. This is tricky business that takes time." She informed the group. "With enough training, she will be able to control her ability with ease." She sounded hopeful.

The group nodded along with what Wanda was saying. Everyone's expressions were positive. "Hopefully I'll be able to join you guys on a mission soon." Eva said with a grin. The thought of a mission was exciting and scary at the same time. She wanted to prove that she could be helpful to the team. Eva ran her fingers through her hair.

"Hopefully you will." Natasha smiled.

"We'll leave you so you can get to work." Clint nodded.

Clint and Natasha exit the room, closing the door behind them. Pietro just sits down in one of the chairs next to the bookshelf. "Pietro.. I don't think Eva wants an audience." Wanda prompted in her Sokovian accent.

"With me here maybe she will get more practice. She could try thinking to me and give you a break." He counters nonchalantly.

Wanda sighed and rolled her eyes. "We'll let you know." She turns to Eva. "Try speaking to me again. Let's see if it's any easier this time, yeah?" Eva nods and tries again.

[[TIME SKIP]]

After about an hour, Eva and Wanda decided to call it a night. Wanda told Eva that she was improving and that she would be with them in no time. They decided that the lessons would be two to three times a week depending on how busy things were. Eva smiled and hugged Wanda before leaving the room. The door closed behind her as she sighed for relief. She closed her eyes and then she was in her room. She put on her pajama pants and a comfy shirt before trying to decide what to do. The burgundy haired girl opened her door slightly in case anyone wanted to talk before grabbing her book, phone, and headphones.

She sat in the chair next to the floor lamp as she put one of the earbuds in her ear and put on her starred spotify playlist. The girl snuggled up into the chair and opened up her book, humming along to the song that was playing in her ear.

Pietro just so happened to run past Eva's room. He was going to go and watch a movie in the common area but he thought that this might be the perfect time to try and get to know Eva a little bit better. Who knows maybe they would hit it off. Pietro smiled and ran into her room and sat on the edge of her bed. He saw her shiver and rub her arm without even bothering to look up. "What you reading?." He asks, hoping that he won't scare Eva.

Eva jumps slightly before turning to see Pietro sitting on her bed. "Hey Pietro. I um. I'm re-reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Have you read it?"

"I have not. I have only read first two and it has been a while." He explains.

The redhead puts her bookmark in and turns fully in the chair. "It's a great book. It's probably my favorite book in the series, but to be honest the entire series is fantastic." She says.

"I just have not had time." He admits, running his fingers through his hair.

"Understandable, being an avenger is time consuming." She pauses to think. "If you would like to try again with the series in your free time.. You could borrow my copies. I wouldn't mind lending them to you." She offered warmly.

This earned a genuine smile from the Sokovian. His posture seemed to change slightly, more relaxed. "I appreciate this. Not everyone would lend out something they care about so much. I promise to treat them well." He had no idea when he would read these books, but he would give it his best shot. He remembered liking what he read before, but the books were just so big. Honestly, they can be intimidating. He eyed the book in Eva's lap.

"It's really not a problem Pietro." Eva grinned, getting up from the chair and setting Goblet of Fire on the arm. She walked over to her shelf and grabbed the first book. The book itself was a little worn, but she liked to think of it as showing the love for the book. The redhead turned and handed Pietro the book.

He took it easily and looked at it for a few moments before looking back up at Eva. He set the book in his lap without looking down. She really was a beautiful girl, not that that should matter much.

There was knock on the wall. Eva's glance snapped over immediately to Clint standing in the doorway. "Hey nerd. We're watching a movie in the common area. You in?"

"Who's we? And what movie?" Eva asked, crossing her arms.

"The majority of the team. And 'Scott Pilgrim vs The World.'" Clint explained, keeping an eye on the situation that he walked in on. Everything seemed okay. _'He bothering you?'_

"That sounds nice. Good movie. You guys have good tastes. I'm in." Eva smiled. "I'll be right there." She told him. _'No Clint. He's fine.'_

"Speedy, you gonna join us?" Clint asked, eying the Sokovian.

"The title sounds ...interesting. I think I will." He responds.

Clint nods and makes his way to the common area. "Race you?" Pietro smirks.

"Pietro. I'm pretty sure that-..." Before she could finish the sentence, Pietro was a blur. Eva teleported onto an arm of the sofa. About a second later Pietro was next to her. "Rude. I was mid sentence you know.." She chuckles.

Pietro smirked up at her as the opening of the movie started to play. Clint eyed the pair, hoping that nothing would come from this and that the quick little bastard wouldn't become his future brother-in-law one day.

Midway through the movie, Eva said goodnight to the people who were still up and teleported back into her bedroom. Overall, today was a pretty successful day. She thought to herself as she closed her door, turned off the light and got into bed, drifting into blissful sleep.

* * *

I hope that you enjoyed that chapter. Please let me know what you guys thought. I love hearing from you all. -Jen In Wonderland


	4. Casual Gathering

Chapter Four - Casual Gathering

A couple of weeks passed almost in a daze. Eva could feel herself getting stronger. Her telepathy was getting slightly easier to control. Every once and awhile she would hear things that she knew she probably shouldn't have. Eva's phone vibrated and she pulled it out of her back pocket as she was sitting on the couch in the common area.

'Girl, where have you been? I miss you.' She read. Her brows furrowed and she pursed her lips. The text was from her best friend who she hadn't seen since she moved in. The redhead bit her lip, not knowing what to say. She was sure that she couldn't just say that she was at the Avengers facility chilling with all of these superheroes. and oh yeah, I have powers. That would probably be frowned upon. She sighed and typed out a response.

'Sorry, I've just been so busy lately that I can't hang out. I miss you too!' It was times like this that she missed her place in New York with all of her friends.

Right now, the Avengers were off on a mission and have been for three days.. This left Eva time to explore some and get more used to being in the facility. Today was not a day that she wanted to explore. She simply wanted to relax while the place was quiet. It was somewhere around one o'clock in the afternoon when she saw the quinjet start to land on the landing pad. Her phone buzzed once again.

'Well, you should come out with us sometime when you aren't too busy.'

'That sounds great. I'll let you know.' She typed back almost immediately. She knew that she'd have to make it up to Haley at some point, she just didn't know when that would be.

It was about at that time when she heard the elevator ding. She straightened her outfit, a loose tee shirt with red jeans, as she stood. Tony and Bruce exited first, bantering back and forth not paying her any mind. Then it was Clint, Wanda, and Natasha who walked over to her. "I'm so happy that you all are okay..." She paused. "Please tell me I can go on the next one. I hate only being able to worry." Eva casually kept an eye on the elevator. "What do you guys want to do tonight?" She asks.

"Well, Stark is having another one of his parties to celebrate the victory." Nat explained.

"That sounds like fun. And that's tonight? Why not have it tomorrow when you aren't so tired?" She inquired. Just then, Steve stepped off of the elevator. She couldn't help but smile when she saw him and then Pietro come off of the elevator. ' _Eva. stop staring.'_ She heard Nat say in her head. Her attention shifted back to the group she was with.

"As I said, some of us slept on the quinjet so we're okay." Nat explained graciously. "Besides, the party is just for us this time since it's the middle of the week."

"Are you sure? Oh, sounds like fun. Wait, where's Thor?" Concern was evident in Eva's voice.

"Side mission." Steve supplied as he stepped up to the group. "He said that he couldn't give any details."

Everyone seemed to nod along in comprehension with Steve. "So, are these 'inner circle' gatherings a big deal?" Eva asked, unknowingly biting her lip.

"Not really. They're pretty relaxed most of the time. Just us getting together for drinks and finding ways to let off steam." Clint explained to his sister, putting an arm around her shoulders.

Eva eyed Clint for a moment. "Sounds nice, and well deserved. You guys work hard. Why not take a night to yourself and relax." She smiled genuinely as Clint's arm fell. "I should probably let you guys go and get ready." She pauses for a moment. "I'll see you all at the gathering later." Eva smiles and backs away, turning. She noticed Pietro reading on the sofa. He was about halfway through the Chamber of Secrets as far as she could tell. Before the silver-haired speedster could look up, Eva teleported into her room.

" _What am I going to wear to this thing?"_ She thought instantly, walking over to her closet to try and pick out something suitable. Eva flipped through her closet a couple of times, getting more frustrated each time. It was then that Nat came in.

"Having trouble?" She asked, noting Eva's facial expression.

"Yes, please help." Eva pleaded.

Nat smirked and walked over to Eva's closet. "Since this isn't one of Tony's formal parties you won't have to worry about being too formal." She explained as she thumbed through the rack of clothes. "Would you be okay with a skirt or shorts?"

Eva thought for a moment before responding, "Either sounds fine." She smiled.

"That really didn't help at all, but okay.." She replied picking things off of their hangers. "We have some options." She said as she pulled out some clothes and sat them on Eva's neatly made bed.

Eva nodded as she took in the choices. "I really like the combinations. What about that one?" She offered up, stepping toward the clothes.

"Good choice. Steve would love that on you." She teases nonchalantly. "Or were you trying to impress Speedy?" She smiles and sits in the comfy chair in the corner of the room.

Eva diverted her gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about..." She says, running her fingers through her hair. "I'm not trying to impress anyone right now."

"You're a bad liar, Eva. Did you know that?" Nat retorts.

"I think Clint told me once, but I'm not lying. I'm trying to take it slow and if something happens, great. I'm not going to get my hopes up for something that might not happen." Eva explained as she walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. It was a couple of minutes later when the door opened.

Eva was wearing a dress that ended above her knees with tights and a pair of boots and a light necklace. It was the kind of outfit that was perfect for the almost fall weather they were having. Eva didn't know how she did it, but she was thankful for Natasha's help. Eva smiled up at Nat as she got up out of the chair. "Perfect. Now if we go outside you will just need a scarf or to borrow a jacket of some sort." Eva heard Nat say. "Though, a jacket would be better." She added as Eva looked at herself in the mirror and fixed her makeup.

Eva nodded. "Thank you for helping me Nat." She says with a smile, holding her arms out for a quick hug.

Nat smiles in return and returns the hug. "You're welcome sweetie." She replies before breaking away. "Ready to go?"

"About as ready as I'll ever be." Eva sighs with a light smile.

"It's really nothing to worry about." Nat replies, squeezing Eva's arm for a moment.

Eva took one final cleansing breath before opening the door and walking with Nat into the living area. Everyone looked nice, but also comfortable at the same time. There were all kinds of food on the coffee table. in open containers. It really was a relaxed area. ' _So I could have just changed my top and been fine.'_ She thought to herself.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Eva asks as she takes an empty seat on one of the sofas. There was a jumble of responses to the point of her getting the consensus of nothing much. Eva crossed her legs just trying to relax. That was when Pietro appeared in a blur next to her on the couch. "Hey." Eva said with a smile, turning more towards him.

"Eva. You look very nice tonight." He complimented with a smile.

"Thank you. You look very nice yourself." She replied as heat rose to her cheeks. "So, um.. How are you liking Harry Potter? You're on the second one, right?"

Pietro smiled and nodded. "I am. The Chamber of Secrets has been very good so far. They just went down into the tunnels when I had to stop."

"Oh, so you're almost done with it." Eva smiled.

"I am. I'm excited to see what happens." He smiles back, his blue eyes almost sparkling.

"I don't think you'll be disappointed. Let me know when you've finished and then maybe we could talk about it and I could lend you the third one." Eva replied, putting her hand on top of Pietro's on his leg.

Pietro looked down for a moment before continuing their conversation.

Across the room, Natasha and Wanda were talking. "Your brother looks quite smitten with her." Natasha observed, taking a bite of her food.

Wanda looked over to the pair on the couch who looked like they were in deep conversation. Pietro certainly looked happy, and he wasn't bouncing all over the place, which was really something for him. "He does, and she with him. They could be cute together." Wanda says nonchalantly.

"They could be." Natasha said. "It could be too early to tell though. It seems like they might have some chemistry..." She trailed off, taking another bite of food.

Steve couldn't help but overhear their conversation as he was conversing with Bruce. His expression was stoic as he listened to Bruce explaining something. He nodded with what the other avenger was saying before asking to be excused to get a drink just as Tony walked up to them. The blond super-soldier walked up to the bar and grabbed himself a beer and popped it open easily. He sat on one of the stools and pulled out his phone.

"No offense, but I'm pretty sure that we proved that I'm faster. All I have to do is picture a place that I want to go and then poof I'm there." Eva said with a light giggle.

"I still think we need a rematch." Pietro smiled.

"Fine, name the place."

"Maybe somewhere more private." He suggested with a playful smirk. ' _If you know what I mean..'_

"Try again, speedy." She said, putting her hands in her lap. "And while you're thinking. I think I'll grab a drink. Be right back. Can't wait to hear where you come up with." Eva smiles once more and rises from her seat and makes her way to the bar.

Eva walks behind the bar to grab a hard cider before sitting properly next to Steve, who was still looking down at his phone. She smiled and took a sip of her cider before speaking and turning to face the super soldier. "Anything you need help with?" She asks, gesturing to the phone when Steve looks up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to just assume that you needed help.. You just looked like you were pretty focused on the screen.." She babbled, trying to explain herself, not that she had to.

Steve lowered the phone and turned off the screen as he put it in his pocket. "There's no need to apologize Eva. It's usually a pretty good bet that i'm having difficulties with the new technology. It's fine, really." He smiled and took a sip of his beer.

"Well, I didn't want to offend you." She says as she crosses her legs.

"You didn't offend me." He said truthfully.

Eva nodded and there was a brief pause. "So, I heard a rumor that you keep a list of things to catch up on."

"I do." Steve said simply.

"Maybe I could help you work your way through it. If you wouldn't mind my company." Eva just so happened to glance over at Nat, who smiled at her. She mentally shrugged it off and returned to conversation with Steve. Eva's face fell slightly as she was about to cut off what he was saying. "I'm not trying to be rude, but I'll be right back." and then she was gone and Steve noticed that Pietro had dashed out of the room.

Steve's brows furrowed. Eva was a sweet girl and he could definitely see how she and Clint were siblings. They had some of the same humor. The blond took a swig of his beer as he looked around the room. Just as he looked back to where the redhead had disappeared from, she popped back into his view with a smile. He eyed her with a skeptical smile as if to say, 'What was that about.'

"Sorry for disappearing like that. Pietro challenged me to see who would get to the end of the driveway faster." She paused. "It was me." She chuckled lightly pushing her hair away from her face.

Steve chuckled along with her. "I kind of figured you would be. You can be anywhere in the blink of an eye."

Eva nodded and took a sip of her drink. "Anywhere I've been or seen before." She tried to amend politely.

"That makes sense." He says, before his phone vibrates in his pocket. "Sorry, this could be important." He says, excusing himself.

Eva smiles and nods, "It's okay. I understand." She says, standing up with him. The redhead looked after him as he left the room, her eyes trailing down momentarily before snapping back up. She sits back down at the bar and sips on her drink. She then leans down to grab her phone out of her boot and proceeded to mess with it. 'It's probably against the rules for avengers to date each other.' She thought to herself. She didn't know if that would be a problem just yet. It was still too soon.

Eva sighed and got up, making her way to the loveseat that Natasha was sitting on. "Enjoying yourself?" Natasha asks discreetly.

"I am. The party is more relaxed than I thought it would be. This is really more of a casual get together." Eva said, sipping on her drink.

Natasha nodded. "So, you and Steve seem to be getting along.." She says nonchalantly.

A hint of realization hit. "Yeah, Steve's a pretty cool guy." Eva shrugged and smiled.

And then, everyone's phones and the alarm went off.


End file.
